Hi there! It's been a while since last time we've chatted, and a lot has happened since last time.

Miss USA was May 14th, and really, I've had a very hard time with my health, mentally and physically, ever since. The disappointment of not placing at Miss USA has really been a difficult experience for me, and while that's a story for a different, upcoming blog post, I have really let the experience impact me negatively.

Walking the Miss USA stage

This summer, it has felt like I have been purposefully unhealthy. Self-sabotaging, if you will. Usually, I absolutely love working out and being healthy from the inside out, but right now, it's like I am a different person. I'm not sure if you've ever been in a rut like this, but it isn't easy to dig your way out of.

Full disclosure - I am the most unhealthy I've been in a long time, I don't feel comfortable in my own skin, and, thankfully, I'm ready to take my health back.

Thanks to Amy Miller at Amy Miller Training in Sioux Falls, I have found a love for fitness and working out again. Her classes (especially Hot Yoga Sculpt!) have given me the challenge I need to fuel the fire that I've always had for competition and challenging myself. The fitness component of health has always been easiest to implement for me, so that is the first change I'm making! I will be taking 4 strength-based classes at AMT per week, along with cardio and long distance walking on my own.

The second challenge is overall movement. I am aiming to hit my 10,000 steps each day in September! Along with movement, I am focusing on providing my body with nourishing nutrition, ample amounts of sleep (my average nightly amount this summer has been about 6.5 hours per night, YIKES. I do better with 8), and positive self-talk.

I have always had a difficult relationship with dieting and weight loss, so instead of counting my calories and worrying about every number, I am working on being more mindful, finishing eating with I am satiated, and filling my plate with nourishing ingredients that I know will give me energy and make me feel great!

My goal for September is to get myself to a place where I feel satisfied again - satisfied with the way I feel from the inside out, satisfied that I am making a daily effort toward bettering my personal health, and satisfied with my time and experiences that I've had in the world of pageantry. It isn't easy being your own worst critic, but it's important to silence that voice and to find the positive and silver lining in every situation.

Follow along this September to watch my journey to better health, to find your own motivation, and to, like me, silence those inner critics and become the best version of yourself yet! I give up my crown at the end of the month, so it is perfect timing to take my life back and end this year with a bang. I'm excited to update you with my personal progress, and show that when you put your mind to something, an entire new world of opportunity opens up.

Cheers to ending the cycle of "I'm not good enough" and replacing it with "I am enough, and I deserve to be happy". As my friend Alexis says, "What is meant for you won't pass you", so instead of having lingering sadness and anxiousness over what wasn't meant for me, I'm choosing a new path.